Knee Arthroscopy

Eggleston Orthopedics

Steven D. Eggleston , M.D.

Orthopedic Surgeon located in Lake Jackson, TX

Whether you suffered a sports injury or the pain and stiffness of osteoarthritis prevent you from staying active, you may need to undergo knee arthroscopy to repair tissues and relieve your symptoms. Dr. Steven Eggleston has years of experience safely performing minimally invasive knee arthroscopy and successfully helping patients restore knee function. To schedule an appointment, call Eggleston Orthopedics in Lake Jackson, Texas, or book an appointment online.

Knee Arthroscopy Q & A

What is knee arthroscopy?

Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive procedure that’s used to diagnose and treat problems in your knee. It’s called minimally invasive because it’s performed using a few very small incisions. All the necessary surgical instruments are specially designed to fit through narrow tubes that are inserted through the incisions.

The key piece of equipment, the arthroscope, contains a high-definition camera and lighting. After it’s inserted into your knee joint, it sends magnified images of the tissues to a monitor. The exceptional images allow Dr. Eggleston to precisely identify the cause of your symptoms.

Dr. Eggleston may do a knee arthroscopy only for diagnostic purposes, but in most cases, he performs surgery to repair the problem during the same procedure.

What procedures are performed during knee arthroscopy?

You may need an arthroscopy following a sports injury or knee trauma, or when you experience chronic knee pain and stiffness. Some of the most common conditions and procedures performed include:

Meniscus tear: Removal and repair of damaged cartilage

Anterior cruciate ligament injury: Ligament reconstruction

Synovitis or knee infection: Removal of inflamed and infected tissues

Arthritic degeneration: Trimming or removal of deteriorated cartilage

Bone or cartilage fragments: Removal of loose pieces

Dislocated kneecap: Tissue release to realign the kneecap

Knee arthroscopy can be used to treat most knee problems except for extensive procedures, such as a total knee replacement.

What are the benefits of knee arthroscopy?

Traditional open surgery is done through a long incision that disrupts muscles and causes a significant shock to your body. By comparison, the small incisions used during knee arthroscopy limit the overall trauma and spare your muscles.

When you undergo arthroscopy rather than open surgery, you gain health benefits such as:

Less postoperative pain

Reduced bleeding

Minimal scarring

Quicker recovery

Faster return to normal activities

In most cases, Dr. Eggleston performs arthroscopy as an outpatient procedure, which means you can go home the same day.

Although your recovery is faster, you’ll still need to keep weight off your knee for a time following arthroscopic surgery. Dr. Eggleston gives you instructions for exercises you can perform to accelerate healing, restore motion, and strengthen your leg muscles.

If you have questions about knee arthroscopy, call Eggleston Orthopedics or book an appointment online.